The present invention generally relates to the installation of electric lighting fixtures, and more particularly to visual distractions associated with the installation of ceiling suspended lighting fixtures having exposed electrical power cords that must be extended between the fixtures and the overhead ceiling.
Lighting designs for architectural spaces frequently include linear fluorescent lighting fixtures suspended from an overhead ceiling structure where the lighting fixtures become an architectural element within the space. In office environments a typical lighting installation will include the suspension of runs of linear direct or indirect lighting fixtures below a grid ceiling from multiple suspension points located on the ceiling grid. Each run of fixtures will require at least one power feed location where a potentially unsightly power cord must be run from the lighting fixture up to an electrical junction box above the ceiling grid. In older installations, the runs of lighting fixtures were suspended by hollow stems which permitted the fixture""s power cord to be fed through the stem at the power feed locations. The rigid stems thus concealed the power cords and provided a clean, finished look to the installation.
However, rigid stem designs became impractical with the introduction of earthquake building codes in earthquake-prone areas, such as California, which require that a fixture be allowed to sway during a seismic event. One response to earthquake codes was to use ball stems having a ball joint that permitted a suitable swivel motion about the stem. This solution preserved the advantage of being able to hide the power cord since, like rigid stems, ball stems are hollow. But ball stems have a decided disadvantage in that they, like rigid stems, are relatively costly and difficult to install. As a result, most installations now use less costly aircraft cable to suspend lighting fixtures and simply drop the power cords next to the cables where the power cords are visible instead of hidden from view. Aircraft cable is flexible and allows the fixture to sway thereby meeting earthquake codes, and can easily be installed from grid ceilings at any location, including off grid locations.
The problem with aircraft cable is the visibility of the power cords dropped next to the cable. Power cords have natural bends which, unlike the finished appearance of stem systems, present a casual or awkward appearance which can be visually objectionable. To mitigate this problem, designers often require that the power cord be tied to the suspension cable using cable ties or clips, however, in many cases this still does not provide the finished look desired. First, with ties or clips it is difficult to keep the cord perfectly straight against the suspension cable, and the ties and clips themselves can be a visual detraction.
The present invention provides a power cord manager that overcomes the aesthetic disadvantages of using aircraft cable instead of hollow stems to suspend linear fluorescent lighting. It also overcomes the disadvantages of using conventional cable ties or clips to hold an external power cord next to a fixture suspension cable. The present invention further provides a cord manager that is inexpensively manufactured, easy to install, and that can keep the power cord in a straight parallel relation to the suspension cable over most of the length of the power cord. Still further, the present invention provides a convenient tool to the designer of suspended lighting systems for achieving a desired finished look at electrical feed locations.
Briefly, the present invention is a power cord manager for the power cord of a suspended electric lighting fixture having a suspension cable near the location of the power cord. The power cord manager is comprised of first and second elongated body portions which are preferably integrally connected and which preferably have a uniform cross-sectional shape such that the cord manager can be fabricated from an extruded strip of material, such as plastic or aluminum, cut to a desired length.
The first body portion of the cord manager has a lengthwise cable retention channel with a lengthwise side opening for fitting the suspension cable of the lighting fixture into the channel. Both the cable retention channel and its side opening are sized and shaped to receive and capture the suspension cable over the length of the channel. The second body portion similarly has a lengthwise power cord retention channel having a lengthwise side opening through which the electrical power cord of the lighting fixture can be fitted. This side opening and retention channel are parallel to the cable retention channel of the first body portion and are sized to receive and capture the power cord of the lighting fixture so that the power cord is held in close parallel relation to the suspension cable captured in the cable retention channel.
In one aspect of the invention, the side opening for the cable retention channel opens onto the power cord retention channel such that the suspension cable is first passed through the power cord retention channel before being received by the cable retention channel. In another aspect of the invention, the side openings for both the cable and power cord retention channels face outwardly away from each other to separately receive the suspension cable and power cord. The cable retention channel and power cord retention channel and their respective side openings can be oriented at different angles relative to each other as hereinafter described.
In a further aspect of the invention, the first and second body portions of the cord manager have a thin wall construction wherein the first body portion has a first elongated semi-circular thin wall portion forming a lengthwise circular cable retention channel, and wherein the second elongated semi-circular thin wall portion forms a lengthwise circular power cord retention channel.
Therefore, it can be seen that a primary object of the invention is to provide a cord manager for the electrical power cord of a suspended lighting fixture which permits the power cord to be held in close parallel relation to a fixture suspension cable over the length of the cord manager. It is a further object of the invention to provide a power cord manager that provides a clean, finished look to the fixture""s suspension, that can be fabricated inexpensively, and that is relatively easy to install. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and claims.